The Mysterious Man
We sat with our backs against the wall and became chatterboxes. The stories of our days as candidates, and the lives we’d led since, flowed on without end.
Im Jongchan said he had originally been in a small shelter in Gyeonggi-do. He explained that a trivial argument had escalated into a civil war, and in the process, he had felt a deep disillusionment with the group. That was why he currently belonged to no one, living a nomadic life with people who shared his mindset.
“Honestly, people like us don’t need the help of a group, right? You just get held back and end up with a headache.”
I chewed over Im Jongchan’s words. There was a part of me that sympathized with that sentiment. My life had changed drastically before and after I learned about the Osori Shelter. It had shifted from a peaceful existence of scavenging for supplies and taking only calculated risks to a dynamic life of constant incidents and accidents. But in that process, I had met people I could trust, and at some point, I had realized I wanted to protect them. Im Jongchan must have been skeptical because he hadn’t met such people.
“Have you ever met someone you could trust with your back?”
“Why would I trust someone with my back? I just make sure I don’t create a situation where my back itches.”
“That’s true, too.”
“What about you? Did you meet someone?”
I swallowed my words and just nodded. Im Jongchan stared at me, his eyes narrowing.
“You seem to have changed a lot.”
“Me?”
“I thought you’d be worse than me. I figured you’d be the type to despise groups, but I guess not.”
“You’re leading subordinates around, too. That’s a group.”
“Ah, the concept is a bit different.”
Im Jongchan crossed his arms. “We aren’t a group, but rather… companions? Something like that. We can leave at any time, and no one holds anyone back. It’s each person’s life, so we leave it to their own choices.”
He said that *Kois* had started with five people and had grown to as many as thirty at one point. They would travel all over Seoul, and if they found a shelter or land they liked, they would either settle down among themselves or join the shelter.
“Then is it because of those seven people?”
“What?”
“The reason you’re wandering. You’re trying to take responsibility for every last one of them, aren’t you?”
In my mind, Im Jongchan was a playful, talkative, lighthearted character, but at the same time, he was a man who lived and died by loyalty. Even if he called them companions, he didn’t have the personality to abandon the guys who called him their leader.
Im Jongchan chuckled.
“Those bastards, they only have high standards. They won’t just join anywhere. Tsk.”
“If you’re taking responsibility, you’re practically in a group.”
“Ah, ah! I don’t know! My head hurts, so let’s stop talking about this.”
One of his subordinates brought over two canned coffees, having found them somewhere. He looked to be in his late twenties with refined features, and what stood out most was that he was the type who was extremely polite but spoke very little.
“Here…”
“Damn it! Didn’t I tell you not to give me anything? I told you guys to drink it yourselves, so why are you bringing it again?”
“Haha… I just thought you might be thirsty.”
“Tsk! Seriously, you damn bastards. You never listen.”
As I took the coffee on behalf of the man who was turning his head away, the refined-looking man gave a faint smile.
“I’ll enjoy it. What’s your name?”
“Ah… it’s Choi Junseo. Hunter.”
“Choi Junseo. I’ll remember it.”
“…….”
Whether he was shy or embarrassed, Choi Junseo bowed his head and quickly disappeared.
Im Jongchan wore a displeased expression.
“Sigh, that frustrating bastard.”
“Why? I like polite people.”
“That’s because you’re a jerk yourself.”
“Yeah. No, I’m not.”
“Yeah. You are. Do you even know how much your peers talked behind your back?”
“That must be because of your own inferiority complexes.”
“It’s not! It’s because a talented bastard like you doesn’t act talented at all, so it’s annoying!”
“So that’s it.”
“Shit.”
Im Jongchan popped the can open and gulped it down. I don’t know why he scolds them when he’s going to drink it happily if given. Psycho bastard.
“He’s a psycho.”
“Oh…?”
“He looks kind like that, right? He changes 180 degrees when he fights.”
“Oh, really?”
“That guy is my right-hand man. He’s also the vice-captain of Kois.”
“Is he that good at fighting?”
“He learns fast and has great adaptability. He didn’t come from the school, but he’s better than most kids who did. He’d probably chew up a Cut-line Hunter.”
“That’s unexpected.”
A refined appearance and a small build. A polite and quiet personality. The image in my head was shattering into pieces.
“I think he has some kind of button. Once he enters a combat situation, he just goes crazy.”
“Does he follow orders well?”
“No, he never listens. But it’s hard to scold him too much because, in the end, things work out well. Anyway, he’s a strange guy.”
“He must have good instincts.”
“Yeah, that’s right. Honestly, I’ve saved many lives thanks to him.”
The subordinates were chatting loudly or sparring lightly, but Choi Junseo was sitting neatly in the middle of the noise, reading a book. He was a person who caught my eye in many ways.
“By the way, have you heard any news about the school? You’ve been wandering around here and there, haven’t you heard anything?”
“Hmm… how much do you know?”
“I don’t know anything.”
“You don’t even know the school moved to the Green Zone?”
“Green Zone?”
Naturally, it was my first time hearing that. As I adjusted my posture, Im Jongchan made his signature expression, his lips twitching. It was a habit that appeared when he was about to speak in earnest.
“They call Jeju Island the Green Zone. It’s the only place liberated from zombies.”
“There’s a safe zone?”
“The high-ranking folks are all there. They’re training soldiers, and the school is run there, too. All the Cut-line Hunters are from Jeju Island.”
Cut-line Hunters were the Hunters raised after the zombie outbreak. The zombie outbreak had spread like a plague, and I had always wondered how the school was operating in the midst of that chaos.
“No wonder… my questions are finally being answered.”
“You really don’t know anything, do you?”
“I’m an ignoramus.”
“You should have kept in touch with your peers.”
“Did the instructors all go to Jeju Island, too?”
“Only some. Most of them stayed on the mainland and were deployed for evacuation operations. You know, for bastards like ministers and congressmen.”
“What about Instructor Joo?”
“Instructor Joo is the same. They say the instructors who remained on the mainland didn’t go to Jeju Island. I don’t know if they couldn’t go or didn’t go.”
Instructor Joo’s name was Kang Muchul. He was the actual head of the school and the person responsible for the overall training of the candidates. I had special feelings for Instructor Joo. It was he who had requested the modification of my revolver to suit my tendencies. While other Senior Hunters received their master keys directly, signed non-abuse pledges, and underwent two hours of training, he had personally brought it to my house and handed it to me, allowing me to bypass all the tedious processes. The words Instructor Joo said at the time suddenly came to mind.
Go as far south as possible. You, at least, must never die.
Even then, I had brushed it off. Honestly, I hadn’t believed him. I had just undergone the training because they paid me; I really hadn’t known the world would change like this. One thing was certain: the eyes of Instructor Joo, who was always like a tiger, had looked like a melancholy cat at that time.
“Is he alive?”
I asked cautiously. Im Jongchan leaned back fully against the wall and let out a deep breath.
“Who knows.”
“Do you think he’s alive?”
“Probably. He’s the one who raised us, so would he die?”
“That’s right. There’s no way Instructor Joo would be dead. With his personality, he’s probably training someone somewhere. He’ll make them run until they vomit and roll them until they beg for their lives.”
“Wow, shit. I almost got PTSD for a second.”
“If they told me to do it again, I couldn’t.”
“I wouldn’t do it even if they paid me 100 million a month. Damn it.”
We said that, but we knew. In the past, in the present, and in the future to come, the reason we were alive was thanks to the school.
-Cheonil. Answer me as soon as you hear this radio.
At that moment, Hwang Gyunam’s voice came through the radio. The trip down memory lane ended there.
“Yes, I’m listening.”
-Uh, the thing is… Dojin came back, but he keeps whining?
“What? What are you talking about?”
-Jiyoung took him with her. But only Dojin came back.
Ah…….
In an instant, a red light went off in my head. Han Jiyoung had gone to the apartment complex in my place to find the main base of the Solarium. But the fact that only Dojin had returned meant….
“Jongchan. You need to help me out.”
The motorcycle unit set out. Even so, 30 km/h was their maximum speed, but they were quiet and solar-powered, so there was no better means of transportation in this zombie world.
“It’s the instructor!”
“Please open the door. They are people I trust.”
As we arrived at the shelter, the high-voltage current was deactivated and the main gate opened. As soon as I got off the motorcycle, Dojin ran to me. Then, as if he understood my intentions, he quickly took the lead and started running somewhere.
“Smart guy.”
“Are you raising a dog now, too?”
“Just follow him.”
The motorcycle unit left the main gate as it was and chased after Dojin. I was riding on the back of Im Jongchan’s bike, and I gave him a rough explanation of the situation while we moved. I was impatient, but this guy giggled for a long time, wondering what was so funny.
“So you want to save your junior? The legendary McGree has a precious junior he cherishes?”
“Shut up and pick up the speed.”
“Yeah, this is the max. But is she pretty?”
“Do you really want to die?”
“Hahaha! Our Cheonil has grown up a lot since I last saw you!”
I slapped the back of his head, but since he was wearing a helmet, only my hand hurt more. Im Jongchan laughed out loud, even showing his teeth, but my insides felt like they were burning.
“Haa. I shouldn’t have sent her alone.”
“But you said she isn’t even a Cut-line Hunter? Someone from the school got caught by ordinary people? Is she a bit lacking?”
“It’s because that place is a tough one. You’ll know if you go.”
“Shielding her just because she’s your junior.”
“Keep in mind that I’m behind you. Should I just slit your throat?”
“Oh, I’m so scared.”
We soon arrived at the apartment complex. Even Dojin, who had been leading the way, was losing his direction and wandering. It seemed he didn’t know the exact location. That meant she hadn’t been caught at the main base, but rather while they were in the process of classifying the target zones.
“Every second counts, this is driving me crazy.”
“So you’re saying their main base is in one of these damn many apartments?”
“We have no choice but to check them one by one.”
“Bullshit. It’ll take at least two days to check all the way to the rooftops.”
“Then what do you want to do? I told you we don’t have time!”
My voice rose due to my anxiety. Im Jongchan stared at me quietly and then shrugged his shoulders.
“Junseo. Come here.”
He called Choi Junseo out of the blue. I didn’t know what he was trying to do, but after hearing Im Jongchan’s next words, I was just dumbfounded.
“You have a hunch, right?”
“There are two places.”
“Where?”
“Here and there.”
Choi Junseo pointed to two apartment buildings. When the complex was divided into four, one was located in the upper right, and the other was directly opposite it. Im Jongchan began to pack his gear as if he believed that absurd statement.
“What are you doing now? You want to go to the center just by trusting this kid’s word? Do you know that if it’s a wild goose chase, our position will be exposed?”
“Just trust me once. There’s no other way anyway.”
“He’s not a shaman, so what on earth is the basis for this?”
“I’m telling you, it’s not just shooting blindly. Just trust me.”
“What…?”
“If we go and come back, I’ll tell you a secret. First, let’s split into two teams. I’ll take the rest, so you take Junseo.”
Im Jongchan and his group began to approach the apartment using the blind spots. I let out a dry laugh because I was dumbfounded by the sight, but Choi Junseo just stared at me blankly.